The main announcement was that we in the UK have launched the first ever Microsoft based Search Appliance. SCAN Technologies have partnered with us to use their expertise and our technology to build on MOSS 07 and deliver a very simple to install, configure and deploy MOSS 07 based Search Appliance.

Microsoft will launch its first search appliance this year, based on a relationship with UK-based Scan Computers. Scan’s Orange Spider Search is designed to let firms add in SharePoint Server capabilities in a four-step process.

Mike Pallot, Microsoft channel development manager for search, said, “We’re in the early stages but it’s a pre-built server that makes it easy to deploy SharePoint without IT assistance. It’s not a ploy to go head-to-head with the Google Search Appliance but it lets you deploy a familiar environment and link people search to CRM capabilities.”

The above makes it seem both more and less than one would expect. It’ll be interesting to see the full details on this puppy.